The increase in the frequency of disasters and their associated damage in the SADC region is part of a worldwide trend, which results from growing vulnerability and may reflect changing climate patterns. Global risks seem to be increasing. These trends make it all more necessary for South Africa to initiate the development and implementation of the national Disaster Hazard and Vulnerability Atlas. This is a database-driven, web-enabled interactive "virtual book". It consists of various "chapters", such as drought, flood, cyclones, storms.etc. Mathematica is in use as a core service (engine) for the calculation of the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) as a drought indicator. webMathematica scripts have been written to perform complex probabilistic rainfall data analysis.

Special thanks to the National Disaster Management Centre of the Republic of South Africa for their support in this project, and for hosting the Atlas.